Ofu 2

Today we hiked up to the look out, at 1500', a little below the summit of Tumu Mountain. The trail did continue past this point, but we had heard that the view further along, is less exciting than what we had seen from the look out. 

Link to Ofu 2

From our Haleakala experience.., and common sense: the success of a hike depends on safely getting back down, so we decided not to continue, as the red sand in places was very hard packed, and slippery like mud due to the recent rain, and maybe also due to the fact the trail is in the rain forest. And it  started drizzling right after we finished lunch, enjoyed our view, and took a few pictures. I am always slow descending, and the trail was very steep in places, as the look out only is some 2 miles from the trail head, which is at the end of the road, by the Ofu wharf.

Fortunately it never really rained, and we enjoyed our day. Saw many so called terrestrial hermit crabs, all in real shells. Craig read here at the lodge, that these crabs sometimes are seen carrying plastic, or glass on their backs, presumably if they can't find a snail willing to take them in..?

It is VERY nice to be able to hike along a trail, which at times is overgrown, and tears up your pant legs & shins.. (only very superficially), in a rainforest, amid totally unfamiliar plants, and not to have to worry about any dangerous spiders, snakes, ticks, or anything but your footing! There are no dangerous animals in the Samoas, and if what Craig saw a few days ago, was a shark, they are of a type that are more afraid of humans, than vice versa.

There are mosquitoes, but it seems this is not their season, as we haven't felt the need for the bug repellent we carry.

For anyone planning a trip anywhere near coral reefs: please read up on what type of sunscreen is safe!!! We use one with Titanium Dioxide, which is supposed to be safer, than the widely used Oxybenzone (at least in the USA). I will dig up an article I found about this, to share with our hosts, and will be happy to send it to anyone reading this as needed.

After the hike, we took a dip, at low tide, right in front of the lodge. Our pant legs, and socks were full of red dirt, and had tiny burr-like things all over them, so I only removed my hat & boots, and let the ocean start the cleaning process. Almost immediately, Craig wanted his snorkeling gear, and I am so glad he went to get it, as we both saw new colorful fish, huge sea cucumbers, and other types of creatures, that we hadn't seen from the other beaches here. 

Our pants my never look the same, but I consider any stains a nice memento from here.

Tomorrow is our last day, and I think we will snorkel right here again, as we are unlikely ever again to see this wonderful an underwater world.

And snorkel we did, especially Craig spent a lot of time in the water. It is windy, and I am very happy with what I have seen by now, so am relaxing, and making sure I keep Craig's snorkel in sight. We have no prior experience with coral reefs, but agree with what we had read about how wonderful, interesting, and clean, the reef along the southern coast of Ofu is. Fish of all colors, stripes, spots, shapes... and the many different types of coral, in a turquoise sea!

As I write this, Craig is reading (and dozing), in the hammock, and I need to wait to look at, and cull, the  pictures  from today, until we go inside later. The light is just too bright out here in the fale, on the beach..

The family who came here a few days ago by chartered boat, never got the rain we saw, and said things went well despite the choppy seas. They moved, with their 2 young kids, to Pago Pago, from California 6 years ago, for the sake of adventure. Both parents have traveled extensively before they had kids, and the Mom is right now a little concerned that their 16-year-old son has shown no interest in a gap year, after graduating next spring from high school. Instead he is hoping to get in to one of the elite colleges on the mainland. We don't know many other parents with such concerns, but you always meet interesting people traveling!

Early this morning we went to the nearby National Park beach, to view the sunrise. Craig is disappointed we have not had a clear enough night to see the southern hemisphere stars, and it has been somewhat cloudy also morning, and evening.